SP101 in 32 H&R Mag

[dmel75]

Brought home an interesting Ruger today, at 350$ the price was right. SP101, 4 inch barrel. Model KSP-3241 in .32 H&R Magnum. I think this will make a great gun to cast for so next I'll be hunting a good .32 mold, brass & dies. If you have recommendations on good molds for the 32, speak up!

 

[Velvet]

Nice score! I've always had an interest in that cartridge, but for some strange reason I never bought a gun in that caliber.

 

[dmel75]

Nice score! I've always had an interest in that cartridge, but for some strange reason I never bought a gun in that caliber.

I've held fast to a few standard pistol calibers for reloading, 44, 38/357, 9mm. I shot a new 327 Single Seven that a friend has a while back, I was pretty impressed with the 32. I recently walked by a deal on a 32 H&R Single Six at a gun show and when I went back to get it, it was gone. I couldn't do that again. One thing that really attracts me to the .32 is the fact that the straight wall brass will last, the small cartridge size means powder will go a long way and with small projectiles, my lead stash will feed it for a long time. In the end, I think it will be one of the most economical guns to load/cast/shoot, besides the fact that it's a cool looking gun. =) The 4 inch barrel lends a nice balance, I can't wait to run it through it's paces.

 

[kwh]

Great! .32 Fed Mag SP101 best price here when found is $600, $550 for .357 mags (4" barrels). Even at $600 it was hard for me to put back down. Perfect fit for my hands.

 

[Big Old Boy]

Nice price on a great score!

 

[RugerRover]

Nice looking gun, and a great price. I have a SP101 in .32 H&R with a 3" barrel and really enjoy it (I also have a S&W Mdl 432).

I don't cast my own bullets, but I load .313 coated (lead) 100 grain FP bullets from SNS. http://www.snscasting.com/32-100-grain-round-nose-flat-point-coated-500ct/

They look like mini-Keith style bullets in a way, probably without intending to, and are very inexpensive. I just did a batch with 2.5 grains of Trail Boss, which should be very mild. I also load Hornady XTPs in 100 and 85 grain, primarily with Unique.

All in all, a great caliber that is fun to hand-load and fun to shoot.

 

[RugerRover]

Great! .32 Fed Mag SP101 best price here when found is $600, $550 for .357 mags (4" barrels). Even at $600 it was hard for me to put back down. Perfect fit for my hands.

Yeah, $350 is a great price. Best price I've been able to find for Model 5773 (SP101 with 4" barrel in .327 Fed Mag) is $543 at Bud's Guns. Free shipping, no state tax, but FFL transfer fee upon arrival.

 

[Dranrab]

Outstanding. I would have jumped all over it at that price in that condition.

 

[TinkerDave]

Best recommendation I have is for you to sell it to me! Nice find. TD

 

[protoolman]

I passed on a 3" .32 mag Sp a few years ago. Wish I had it now to go with my 2 single sixes. I shoot a little lyman 90 gr. Round nose bullet mold I picked up a few years back. With Red Dot I get accurate loads and a pound of powder makes a lot of bullets.

 

[Iglo73]

Nice!

 

[contender]

I got one of those a while back,,,, but hey,,,, I'm a sucker for the 32 cal guns. You got a very nice deal,,, and since your plans are shooting cast,, you can likely shoot it for less than what many of the scalpers want for their 22 LR stuff.

 

[noahmercy]

I load 32 S&W, 32 S&W Long, 32 H&R Mag, and 327 Federal. Love 32s! I have two moulds for the caliber, and bullets from either one are capable of tighter groups than I can manage.

My RCBS 90 grain RNFP Cowboy mould regularly gets used for the two smaller cartridges, since most firearms chambered in those calibers were rifled and sighted for that bullet weight, and I have run into a couple firearms with tight throats in 32 H&R that need this bullet. It drops from the blocks right at .314" using wheel weight alloy.

The Saeco 118 grain RNFP (designed for the 32-20) is my favorite 32 mould. Bullets drop from mine at .3135" using wheel weights. Lubed with stick alox, they weigh 120 grains. I run them at "mid-speed" (around 950 fps) from the 327 SP101 and they group spectacularly. I have even loaded them in 32 S&W Long brass with a small whiff of fast-burning powder (Titegroup or Bullseye) for around 750 fps as a great alternative to rimfires! Takes bunnies down instantly with no meat damage, and new shooters love the mild recoil and nonexistent muzzle blast.

I size to .313" and use fairly soft lubes and have not seen leading from either of these designs up to 1100 fps, which is as fast as I've pushed them.

Enjoy your 32 Mag...it is an excellent cartridge for the SP101 platform. The strength of the Ruger means you can load to the cartridge's full potential, something not possible with most other firearms that were chambered in this caliber.

P.S. For jacketed, give the 100 grain XTP a look...in my experience it is a very decent performer when driven at max 32 H&R velocity.

 

[dmel75]

Thanks everyone. Great responses and I cannot wait to get a couple 32 molds and work some stout little 32's with it. I bought a box of 32 s&w longs today, they're small! I can fill a pocket with them. I think I'm really going to like this pistol and caliber.

 

[32magfan]

I have about twenty 32 caliber guns, mostly Rugers. I bought an SP101 3" back in 1995 and I have the 3" and 4" 327 SPs as well.

The 32 cartridges really shine when handloaded. My favorite bullet is the 115gr RNFP bullet for the 32-20. In Starline cases ( The only way to go IMO) 3gr of Red Dot makes a nice load in the H&R round. The same bullet in the 327 behind 3.7gr of Clays is my volume plinker load. I also cast and load a 93 gr RN RCBS bullet. You can get really mild with these. 2.5gr of Titegroup works well.

You got a sweet price on the 4" SP, but watch the 32's - they can get addictive. :mrgreen:

Good luck. PM me if you don't get any brass. I have a small stash of Starline brass. I can get you started loading if you need help.

32Magfan

 

[Jagdhund]

I have a Single Six KSSM-4F-SI. It is my pasture carry gun. However, it has always shot low with .32 Mag loads. I decided I needed to try heavy for caliber bullets, substantially heavier than 100 grains. I ran across an old Lyman 2 cavity 312316GC mould at a gun show and brought it home. This is a .32-20 bullet, but it's shape is much like a Keith SWC with 2 lube grooves and a crimp groove.

Load data for this weight bullet in the .32 Mag is hard to come by, but there are sources on the internet (approach with caution) and Brian Pierce has published a few loads in "Handloader". I have been developing a load for it using that data and increasing charges cautiously. Last week I fired a load using H110 with the 312316GC cast of range scrap, sized to 0.3125" or so and lubed with Lyman Moly lube. Velocity was 1223 fps with an ES of 3.8 and an Sd=1.73. (The .32 mag is capable of extremely low variation.) No sticky extraction. At 25 yards this load went into 2" and hit just over an inch above the sights. That is exactly what I have been looking for.

Unfortunately, this mould is no longer listed by Lyman.

Over-all-cartridge length with this bullet is critical or the rounds won't chamber.

I've also had 100 grain Bull-X SWC bullets group into 2" at more standard velocities, but they did not hit high enough in my piece.

 

[Dale53]

I have several .32's. One is the 4" SP101. My "go to" bullet is a group buy 100 gr Keith cast bullet. I could NOT zero my SP101 (the rear sight is windage only) so I had my pistolsmith mount a Red Dot sight on mine. My pistolsmith thought I was out of my mind. However, now the revolver shoots to the sights and it shoots VERY well, thank you!



I have rather large hands and the grip is really a bit small for me (even with after market grips that cover the back strap) but I shoot the little feller rather well.

FWIW
Dale53

 

[Tensaw]

I have one just like it. I added Trausch grips. It is my only double action revolver. Great gun.

 

[41manor44]

You got a fantastic deal. I don't own a H&R in the SP. I do have a Smith model 16 in the H&R and it is a shooter. I use the 83 grain DEWC from Rainier and a dose of Titegroup. I never did see the SP in the 32 H&R but do have the 3" SP in 327 Federal. Occasionally I will shot the H&R in the 327. Good accurate little round. I would buy direct from Starline, they carry the 32 H&R brass.

 

[Buckeye!]

Nice grab at a great price !!!!!